Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m an account manager at Tenaka.I am wildly passionate about digital marketing (above everything else we do), and I want to share with you why I am so passionate about digital, and hopefully give you a different perspective.
There is an opinion that marketing doesn’t change lives and that it’s only for the bottom line.
That is true, partially – we aren’t standing in a hospital theatre saving lives – but there are definitely some of us wanting to make products that improve lives! And yes, I do believe marketing can change lives in a very different way, an uplifting way. I believe it can change lives if led by the right people, and that consumers can truly see the difference between authentic communication, a genuine want to improve lives versus a boosted Facebook post for likes or any other vanity metrics. And no doubt, digital marketing is demanding and no walk in the park.But here’s my two cents on it…
I believe that digital is the strongest form of communication, questioning, word of mouth and consumer empowerment.
Digital provides a platform for a voice, no matter how small the voice might be. Isn’t that beautiful? A space where one person’s opinion or experience matters as much as the crowd’s. That’s a game changer.
Digital, as a brand, is where things become exciting – it’s where your consumer demands transparency, approaches you with praise (or an issue), confides in you behind the safety of their screen; it’s where you can build a reliable reputation and relationship of trust. You might be one of 10 touchpoints that a consumer experiences with a brand, or you’re the only touchpoint they encounter. Digital forces brands to be who they truly are at their core, to prioritise their consumers and approach them in a way that is relevant to them, in the most relevant place. You need to treat every digital interaction you offer consumers as if it is the only one they’ll have – to ensure that it is memorable and rewarding in every sense – so that they don’t need any more touchpoints to decide where their loyalty lies. Brands that fail at this do not make it out alive. Brands that succeed at this have customers for life – customers who feel that their opinion is always heard, no matter how important or how trivial.
I’d like to share two examples with you that gave me shivers to my soul…
Zipline, the brand, was created in 2014, when a need arose for fast and reliable delivery drones. These drones were not created for Instagram-worthy pictures or to spy on neighbours; they have been used for good! The drones are helping to power medical emergencies in Rwanda and Ghana, where the road is definitely less travelled and a lot harder to travel on, so it takes longer to deliver urgent medical supplies or to get a patient to a hospital. Take a look at what happens when great human intention is combined with technology: https://youtu.be/jEbRVNxL44c
REI is an overseas outdoor merchandise retailer, selling items that provide you with the best outdoor experiences. They decided to close their doors on the biggest day for retailers: Black Friday. Why on earth would they do this? They lived up to their brand belief that consumers should be outdoors, and this is the way they encouraged them to do so. Not only was this a groundbreaking campaign, but they inspired many other retailers to do the same. Enjoy the goosebumps with this one: https://youtu.be/lMsxrJeJ8lU
This is what turns heads. That is what makes a consumer come back.
This is why I love digital.